Tube mounting apparatus including a wire retainer

Abstract

A mounting assembly for use with crossfire tubes connected between plural combustors arranged in a spaced relation about a turbine, wherein the assembly includes a wire retainer formed to connect a crossfire tube end to the retainer by compressive side loading of the tube and further formed to connect the tube to a mounting base by compressive forces in a different direction between the base and the retainer wire.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for mounting an end of a tube in a fluid opening of a combustion system comprising: a mounting base including a central axial bore and a first connection device located on a radial surface thereof, said base being disposed about said fluid opening;   a tube disposed in said bore, said tube having a second connection device fixedly disposed adjacent an outer end of said tube;   a retainer including inner elements forming a central opening for receiving and engaging said second connection device of said tube with a first resilient compressive force;   said retainer further including outer elements for engaging said first connection device with a second resilient compressive force, said first connection device including slots for slidably receiving said outer elements;   said first and second compressive forces acting in orthogonal directions with respect to each other so as to resist movement of said tube in a radial or an axial direction with respect to said mounting base.   
     
     
       2. The mounting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second connection device of said tube is a collar fixed to the tube, said collar including a surface extending in the axial direction of said tube and having a groove formed therein for receiving and engaging said inner elements of the retainer.   
     
     
       3. The mounting apparatus of claim 3 wherein said first resilient compressive force is directed radially inwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis of said tube on the collar groove by the inner elements of said retainer. 
     
     
       4. The mounting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said retainer is a closed resilient wire retainer loop bent to form said inner and outer elements for slidably engaging said first and second connection devices. 
     
     
       5. The mounting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said retainer inner elements are parallel legs spaced apart to form said central opening. 
     
     
       6. The mounting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said retainer outer elements are parallel legs spaced apart to engage said first connection device and said inner and outer elements are oriented in different planes. 
     
     
       7. The mounting apparatus of claim 4 wherein said second connection device is a collar fixed to said tube, and said collar includes a surface extending in the axial direction of said tube and having a groove formed therein for receiving and engaging said inner elements of the retainer.   
     
     
       8. The mounting apparatus of claim 7 wherein the inner diameter of said groove is larger than the distance between said inner elements forming said central opening so as to cause said first resilient compressive force. 
     
     
       9. The mounting apparatus of claim 4 wherein said retainer wire adjacent said central opening is bent to connect the inner and outer elements and the respective planes containing said inner and outer elements intersect at or near said bend so that said second resilient compressive force is formed by causing the inner and outer elements to be coplanar. 
     
     
       10. An improved mounting arrangement for a crossfire tube assembly wherein adjacent combustion chambers are connected by a tube element with an end passing through a mounting base on each said chamber, the improvement comprising: a collar with a groove formed therein fixedly attached to said tube adjacent the tube end and said base;   a connector formed on a radial surface of said base;   a resilient wire retainer bent to form two parallel inner coplanar legs spaced to form a central opening for receiving and resiliently compressively engaging the groove in said collar;   said wire retainer further bent to form two parallel outer coplanar legs connected to said inner legs but lying in a different plane,   said retainer legs being resiliently and compressively engaged between said base connector and said radial surface;   whereby the resilient compressive forces formed between the retainer and the base and the retainer and the collar are applied in orthogonal directions with respect to each other so as to resist movement of said tube in a radial or in an axial direction with respect to said mounting base.   
     
     
       11. The improved mounting arrangement as in claim 10 wherein said base connector includes two parallel slots for slidably receiving and engaging said outer legs of said wire retainer. 
     
     
       12. The improved mounting arrangement of claim 11 wherein the resilient wire retainer is further bent into a closed loop and includes an upturned handle portion for engaging and disengaging said retainer by hand. 
     
     
       13. The improved mounting arrangement of claim 10 wherein the resilient compressive forces exerted by said retainer inner legs on the groove in said collar are directed toward the center of said tube, and the force generated by the compressive engagement of the retainer and said base is directed substantially orthogonally to the direction of said first mentioned force.